Jammu, Jan 01 (KINS): Senior BJP leader and MLA R S Pathania on Thursday expressed serious concern over an incident in which a local cricketer from Kashmir was allegedly seen wearing a Palestinian flag on his cricket helmet, calling it an “unsavoury” act and demanding a thorough investigation.

Pathania as per news agency Kashmir Indpeth News Service (KINS) said the incident appeared to be a deliberate attempt to use sports as a platform to push a subversive agenda or a reflection of complete ignorance about India’s official foreign policy stance.

“An unsavoury incident has come to the fore today where a local cricketer from Kashmir was seen wearing a Palestinian flag on his cricket helmet. To sum it up very clearly and categorically, we think this is a nasty attempt to use a cricket ground as a platform for promoting a subversive agenda, or it shows absolute obliviousness to the Indian stance,” Pathania said.

Elaborating on India’s position, the BJP MLA said the country’s foreign policy on the Israel–Palestine issue is well defined and balanced.

“The stand of India as a state with regard to the Palestine–Israel conflict, including India’s support for a separate state for Palestine, is very clear. India is bound by its stated policy, often described as a balanced and principled approach,” he said.

Pathania further alleged that similar incidents in the past were triggered by fringe elements with the intent to disturb peace and create unnecessary controversy.

“Such attempts have been made earlier as well by certain fringe elements in Kashmir, just to disturb the situation by creating a video and fueling a furor,” he remarked.

Calling for accountability, the senior BJP leader urged the authorities to conduct a detailed probe into the matter.

“We believe the entire incident should be investigated threadbare, and whoever is found guilty should be brought to book,” Pathania asserted.(KINS)